One of the biggest challenges of treating cystic fibrosis is the origin of the disease. The disorder is caused by a genetic abnormality that results in a thick buildup of mucus in the lungs, but that defect varies across the entirety of the CF patient population. A drug that addresses one segment of the patient population won’t work on another segment of CF patients, which has been a challenge for the biotechnology industry to overcome.

Biotech company Vertex recently scored Food and Drug Administration approval on a new drug designed to cover a broader spectrum of CF patients. The new Vertex drug, called Orkambi, is actually a combination of two of the company’s other drugs. The pill combines the active pharmaceutical ingredient of the previously approved Vertex drug Kalydeco with a second Vertex compound, called lumacaftor.

Kalydeco had been approved to treat patients who had a particular genetic defect that would respond to that treatment; lumacaftor targets a different genetic defect, Xconomy explains. In combining the two drugs in a pill that delivers a one, two punch, Vertex says it can address approximately half of the 70,000 cystic fibrosis patients worldwide. The FDA approved Orkambi for use in patients 12 years old and older, though Vertex expects to eventually expand the drug’s label to cover younger children, as well.

Orkambi won’t come cheap. Vertex is pricing the combination drug at $259,000 a year. That’s less than the price for Kalydeco, which costs $312,000 per year. TheStreet notes that Orkambi’s net price could end up being even lower as rebates and negotiated insurance discounts are factored in. But TheStreet notes that the launch of the drug will be watched closely to see if insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers push back on the cost of the drug. To learn more about advances in treating rare diseases, such as CF, contact us.

Recruiting top talent is important for your company’s success now and in the future. The best companies recognize that they need to gather a pool of qualified candidates long before a position opens up. Here are 4 ways to recruit top talent for your company:

Plan ahead: Don’t wait for each position to place an ad or start trying to recruit. Spend time now developing criteria for successful job candidates including a list of 5-10 responsibilities and experiential requisites for job openings. Consider what behavioral attributes you want to see out of a candidate during the phone interview stage before setting up an in-person interview. A recruiting planning meeting that includes heads of each department as well as a hiring manager will take some time, but the result will be a descriptive, well-thought out template for your ideal job candidate that matches your company’s core values.

Highlight learning and training opportunities: Talented people don’t want to stagnate over time at your company. They have aspirations to move up within the company by learning new skills through professional training and possibly even degrees. The best way to encourage growth is to encourage and pay for relevant training opportunities. Make sure candidates know that they will have opportunities to attend training to develop beyond their current skills if they work for your company. Offer examples of people who have successfully worked their way up within the company through training and development programs.

Give them a reason to come to you: The easiest and best way to recruit top talent is to not recruit them at all. Being a company that is known publicly for great benefits, fair wages, and a productive but friendly work environment will get you noticed. Most great candidates are already happily working and aren’t seeking out employment, but they will take notice if they hear that a company who offers more incentives than their current one is hiring.

Utilize the Internet: Don’t just post ads online and in newspapers. Connect with potential candidates on LinkedIn and Facebook. Many great candidates aren’t looking on job boards, but they are periodically checking into their LinkedIn accounts and will take notice if they see a competitive job opening in their field. Post company news and updates often so you stay on the radar of your talent pool.

Hiring top talent is the best way to move your company forward. For more tips on hiring and recruiting, contact us.

Superbowl Sunday, the culmination of a brutal but exciting season, is quickly approaching and parties around the world are being planned. Many who watch have no idea what it really takes to become one of the teams to play in the championship game. Likewise, the public often sees only the results of the accomplishments for vital businesses. Thirty-two teams start each season hoping they will be part of the glory that stops the nation in its tracks for an evening. In reality, the process starts long before the big game in the strategy rooms of team owners, managers, and coaches.

It all starts with the draft

Every year a group of elite players are available for the NFL draft. Owners and managers come prepared with detailed research on every player that can contribute to their organization. Teams choose new players from the draft or make strategic deals with other teams for trades – all vying for the right piece of the puzzle. The draft is the first of many steps toward a championship team. Corporate leaders that build winning business teams cannot skip this step either. Those executives that do their homework and are diligent in the interview process usually have more success adding qualified candidates to their respective team.

What does it take to go to the draft with confidence? It is important to take time to research those candidates seeking to join your team, as well as understanding the role they can play. Not everyone is the quarterback, so a manager has to look at each position and see how the player works to benefit the team. Teams should have fresh eyes examine their team to see if there are individual members with overlooked talent – many times outside consultants can be used as well as 360 evaluations. Sometimes an employee who has been on the bench has matured and can become a player who can contribute in a new way.

Keep the goal in the minds of the players

Team members must have the goal in front of them at all times in order to succeed. Talent that does not have the organization’s vision in mind usually won’t grow and meet certain challenges. What happens to a talented player when he joins the team – how is he/she on-boarded? How is he inspired and made to feel part of plan and purpose of the team? A business must impart purpose to keep their talented team progressing towards the goals of the company.

Continued practice and mentoring

A team continues to prepare for the ultimate results. The tactics of opposing teams are studied in order to expose strengths and weaknesses of their competitor. Individual players should be encouraged to evaluate their performance with honesty and willingness to improve their skills. Coaches keep practice and research on the forefront even when the temptation is to let up and relax. They also evaluate their player’s entire well being to make sure they can play up to their role.

Reward

Superbowl teams have the glory of playing in front of the nation, huge financial incentives, and the coveted ring. No team can excel without appreciation and reward – they must be willing to do everything possible to obtain this goal and opportunity. The prospect of winning a world championship inspires individuals to excel to greater heights. What goals have you set for your team?

Best of luck getting the right team in place, fitting the pieces, setting the goals, and bringing it all home….

If you’re like many professionals, you’re probably familiar with the business-oriented social networking site known as LinkedIn. Maybe you already have a profile– because you’ve heard that you should– that sits in cyberspace, collecting virtual dust. However, used correctly, LinkedIn can become a powerful tool for opening doors and making important connections in your industry. After all, professionals connecting with each other through recommendations and referrals is nothing new– both have been long-term practices of successful businesses. What has changed, however, is the means of connecting; LinkedIn has essentially taken over as the playground where professionals come together to introduce and be introduced. Additionally, according to Forbes, LinkedIn usage is especially high among the educated and high earners. Below we will discuss some tips for making the most of your LinkedIn presence:

Complete your profile. It’s time to clean off that virtual dust and give your LinkedIn profile a makeover. The truth is, how your profile looks matters. Users with complete profiles are much more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn. To ensure that your profile is complete, make sure you include the following: your industry, location, your current position with a description, at least two past positions, your education, at least 3 skills, and a minimum of 50 connections. Additionally, be sure to upload a photo– a professional headshot is best.

Focus on your headline. Your headline is the first description of your professional brand that people will see when they view your profile. Make it count. Avoid simply listing your job title and company name. Instead, consider including: what you do, who you help, how you can make work or life better for the viewer, and proof that you are credible. How can you prove credibility? If possible, list current clients, certifications, and/or places that have featured your work.

Get connected. Remember that LinkedIn is all about networking, so connections matter. Connect with current and former colleagues, managers, and clients. Reach out to others in your industry. If you share several mutual connections or group memberships with a person, connecting might be worthwhile. Additionally, consider accepting connections from people whose profile impresses you and those who have taken the time to send a personalized connection request.

Stay active. Now that you’ve developed your profile, be sure to stay active. Even if you don’t currently have a grand purpose for using the site, checking in regularly is smart networking. Update your profile if it’s warranted through a position change or new achievement. Share industry-relevant articles with your connections.

Whether you are between jobs, looking for new opportunities, or just keeping your options open, knowing how to write a cover letter or résumé is a valuable skill to have. It can also be a bit daunting, especially since a good résumé or cover letter requires a careful balance between content and concision. You want to showcase your experience, but you don’t want to inundate potential employers with long descriptions of it or give them an unfavorable impression of yourself. The following tips will help make your résumés and cover letters tastefully stand out.

Know the Company and the Position

In order to catch an employer’s attention, you need to show that you can offer exactly what that he or she is looking for. This means being familiar with the position and the company. What do they value most in a team member? What skills does the position demand? What qualities might they have difficulty finding in candidates? With just a bit of research, you can showcase experience that highlights the skills and attributes that the company needs most. You can do this research online, but you might also want to talk to people in the company. You will get a much more complete feel for what they are looking for by doing so.

Keep a Master Copy

This is especially true for résumés, but it can help with cover letters as well. As you learn what experience will be most valuable to a company, you will want to have a ready inventory of all of your own experience. Your master résumé will probably be much longer than anything you would ever give to an employer (which should generally be only a page), but it will give you a nice, convenient list to choose from as you tailor each résumé to its recipient’s needs.

Be Consistent

The formatting on your résumé or cover letter indicates your own level of professionalism. By keeping formatting consistent through every item on each document, you show that you care about the quality of your work. If anything is inconsistent, it looks sloppy, and it won’t get you the attention you need. Pay special attention to the placement of dates, spacing, headline and section formatting, and body text font and size.

Be Concise, but Thorough

It sounds a bit paradoxical, but the idea is that you should be as complete as the résumé or cover letter length will allow. Knowing the company will help a great deal with selecting which experiences to highlight. As you show your work history in a résumé, include details for the most relevant items and drop details from the less-relevant ones. Then point those out on your cover letter, in which you may elaborate briefly on one or two key points. Show how you can be an asset to the company, but don’t pile thick masses of data onto potential employers. They won’t bother wading through it.

Be Bold, but Professional

You want to stand out from everyone else, and having a bold, creative design for your résumé and cover letter can accomplish that. Using a larger, bolder font for your name, changing the layout of the résumé, and using interesting headers and borders can help grab the attention of a prospective employer. However, it is equally important to keep it as professional as possible. Keep formatting consistent and crisp, keep colors, if any, to a minimum, and avoid clutter. Keep it simple. The design should draw attention to you, not to itself.

These are just a few general ideas on how to show your best self to companies. For more information on getting your talent noticed, contact us.

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"Prime-Core, Inc is an Executive Search Firm that is passionate about helping med tech companies meet their Human Capital needs in order to foster a team dedicated to success.
We believe there is a story behind every successful hire. One that stands the tests of time and truly transforms a good company to great company."